Time and Time Again
by AGhostlyWriter
Summary: First it was Kuyo, then the monstrels, followed by the Anti-schoolers, Fairy Tale and Alucard. Not to mention all the other other factions Tsukune had to fight up to this point. He suffered enough. So why is it that Akasha, before self-destructing, saw fit to send him back in time to the year 2006 where angry human villagers were about to murder two young vampires? Rated T for now.
1. Chapter 1

**Once More, With Changes.**

**Dear readers, I would like to ask for a favor. My goal here in Fanfiction is to hone my ability to write and enrich my sometimes lacking vocabulary. As such, if there is any mistake, lacking in description, or odd phrasing, that you happen to come across in any of my stories, I beg you to immediately write me a review or PM me to inform me of the error. It is my hope that I will be able to improve my writing and bring you fine people more compelling stories as a result. **

* * *

_"I spread it over centuries, and time is on my side."_

_― Bram Stoker, Dracula  
_

* * *

"_Who the hell are you?_" A voice yelled from somewhere in the assembled mob of angry villagers.

Tsukune stared at them blankly, he would have been resisting the urge to ask them that very same question were he capable of understanding them.

"_Oi! Move outta the way, punk!_"

The boy was completely lost. The last thing he remembered was running towards Akasha as the four elder monsters prepared to disintegrate themselves. There was the sickening smell of charred skin and a pile of ash where both the Headmaster and Tohofuhai previously stood.

Whatever happened, Akasha was certainly not pleased. She shouted something at Alucard that Tsukune did not quite catch. The would-be destroyer of Humanity retorted. Akasha turned back to the vampire that had leaped up to where she towered over the wreckage of the torn city. She grabbed him by the shoulders, implored his forgiveness and kissed him.

When their lips parted, he felt a strange warmth course through his body. By the time he turned his attention away from this foreign sensation and back to the matter at hand, he found himself falling backwards in abysmal darkness. He kept on falling, unable to move or make a sound as his eyes were met with nothing but the endless void that surrounded him. He tried to think, to comprehend what was taking place.

Alas, his mind was sluggish and slow. His brain reeled as the same thoughts looped again and again into his head: Where was he? Where was Moka? What was going on?

Finally, after what seemed like an endless fall, he landed on solid ground with a grand _thump_. The shock of the contact, as well as the subsequent pain, were enough to return all of Tsukune's faculties back to their master. By the time he got up and dusted himself off, he was met with the incredulous looks of a good old fashion lynch mob who bluntly inquired the student's identity.

Tsukune heard a whimper behind him and noticed two frightened children. It seemed they were the reason the villagers were up in arms.

"_Look at his face!_" A baritone voice announced.

"_He's one of them!_" An elder woman cried out in the crowd.

"_Monster!_" Another one yelled.

The ex-ghoul felt the great amount of animosity directed at him, the one part he did not require a translator to understand. These peasants were about to murder him alongside two innocent little girls. Faced with that chilling reality, the boy did the first thing that came to his mind: he grabbed the two little ones and made a run for it.

When the humans finally gathered enough of their wits to make chase, the trio had vanished in the vast expanse that was the Chinese countryside. Hidden under the nighttime cover that Nature provided, they ran through grassy hills and patches of trees for several minutes before stopping at a safe distance from the hostile village.

"_Thank you._" The silver-haired girl squeaked after checking to make sure no one had followed them this far. She could have been no more than eight years of age. The other girl, black hair, appeared to be a bit older than her friend. Were Tsukune to guess, he would have imagined her to be around the age of twelve.

The younger child, dressed in a traditional Chinese ensemble made up of a white jacket and black pants, bore a fleeting resemblance to Moka. The older one, dressed entirely in black, wore a cheongsam. The duo possessed the same alabaster skin and red pupils, an obvious indication of their vampiric nature. They flashed a toothy smile at their protector, revealing another feature of their monstrous ancestry.

_Wait._ Tsukune silently observed the black-haired girl for a moment. The face, the mannerisms, they all reminded him of someone else. The realization was almost enough to jolt the newly made vampire into a second run. Only this time, it would have been to get away from the girl who defied all logic. Incredibly, he was faced with a young Akua Shuzen.

The boy was alarmed, looking left and right, trying to find some clue that might explain how such an impossible thing occurred.

"_Is something the matter, sir_?" The young Akua asked her rescuer with genuine concern, a far cry from the attitude he knew her grown self to have.

"Umm..." The boy hesitated, trying his best not to act suspicious. This was a conversation that became more and more awkward by the second, and not simply due to a gap in linguistics.

A flash of genius hit the black-haired vampire. "Are you by any chance Japanese?" She inquired, pleased to notice that the teenager was finally appearing to understand her.

"Ah… Yeah. Actually I am. Ha ha ha." He nervously laughed as his hand instinctively went to rubbing the back of his neck.

"Oh, so that's what it was." Jasmine, or at least that was whom Tsukune surmised the younger girl was, exclaimed in relief. She feared she had offended the elder vampire in some way judging from the grave expression the Yokai student sported just a second ago.

"Thank you for saving us." Akua retorted. "If you hadn't shown up when you did..." She shuddered at the prospect.

"Don't worry about it. I was glad to help."

"But how did you appear out of nowhere like that?"

Jasmine's question was problematic for the young Yokai student. He was starting to piece together what Akasha had done. However, the more he pondered his next move, the more he realized that it might be best to keep some details secret for the time being. Better feign ignorance, for now at least.

"No clue," he lied, "I just sorta ended up there, y'know?"

Neither seemed convinced with his explanation but they decided not to press the issue. They were far too grateful for the rescue to want to put the teenage monster in an uncomfortable position.

"What's your name?" Akua's attempt at changing the subject were quite welcome.

"Tsukune." He answered, still unsure how much he should divulge. Staying silent would have been worse. Besides, he reasoned, if he was right about where he ended up, the eldest Shuzen girl would have several years to forget the name before they were fated to meet again.

"A pleasure to meet you. I'm Akua, this is Jasmine." She announced, pointing to her friend that stood beside her.

"Happy to make your acquaintance."

The courteous tone, though respectful, was extremely uncomfortable for the fledgling monster. He was not use to hearing people speak to him with such deference, nor did he feel at ease about who the well behaved speaker was. It had barely been more than a few minutes since adult Akua tried to slice him open with her hands. That sort of trauma stays with you for a while.

"You two don't have to be so formal. We're all friends here, right?" Another round of nervous laughter passed his lips.

The two vampire maidens looked at each other, then back at Tsukune apologetically. "Sorry, we haven't really met a lot of other vampires other than relatives."

_Vampire? _

Alucard's taunting and the Headmaster's confession rung in the boy's head. He recalled being told that he was no longer human. He had set that knowledge aside during the battle but, now that he was in no immediate danger, he allowed the words to fully sink in.

He lifted his arm up and searched for the Holy Lock he grew accustomed to having wrapped around his right arm. It was no longer there. It was of no real importance; however, it did feel strange to no longer possess it. As for the news of his grand change, he had long ago made peace with the idea of becoming a monster. Being a vampire was a step up from being a creature incapable of sentience, so he was not particularly inclined to complain.

Admittedly, he was a bit curious over how his appearance changed. Had his pupils changed colors? Was his hair still the same shade of black it was after Tohofuhai modified his body? These questions, like many others, would have to be answered at a later date.

When he turned his attention back to the two, he noticed they were in the middle of a heated argument, all of which was in Mandarin. They must have decided it would not be wise to interrupt the elder vampire while he daydreamed. Thus, they moved on to other matters.

"_I don't care. That is where I want to live!_"

"_You can't be serious. Those no good humans were going to kill us._"

"_I don't care about that. That is where I want to live._"

"_Oh jeez,_ could you help me talk some sense into her?"

The problem was not that Tsukune was unwilling to lend a hand. It was mainly that Tsukune had not understood a word other than that which had been intended for him. Even then, he still had some trouble.

"Aiya?" Tsukune repeated dumbfounded. He heard her say that a lot, but he never knew what it meant.

"She wants to go live with _**humans**_." She practically spat the word. "After they tried to kill us." Her attention turned back to her younger friend. "_How could you even think of it?_"

"_But sister…_"

"She's right." Tsukune gravely stated, much to Jasmine's chagrin. For some reason, she felt like this stranger might sympathize with her pro-human views. "Going back there would be suicidal. Especially now that they're up in arms."

"_You see?_" Akua non-rhetorically scolded.

"However, you also have a point, Jasmine." The four eyes that turned to him in surprise was exactly the sort of reaction he was expecting. "Humans aren't mean. They're simply scared, just like us. The best thing to do is to stay separate for now and work so that we can all one day peacefully coexist with each other."

Jasmine was positively inspired by the insightful pep talk. Akua, not so much. "Humans are cruel and vicious animals!" She screamed. "A human can't think of anyone but itself!"

The comment deeply wounded the Newspaper Club member. It was true that he had heard other monsters make the same claim, yet to see a young child who should be filled with hope spout that same line pained Tsukune greatly. Regardless of what race he may now be a part of, he still felt he was a human, deep down.

"We can talk more about that later. For now, we should think about finding you two a place to stay. Do you have relatives you can go live with?" He inquired, fully aware of what the answer would undoubtedly be.

"I do, in Japan." Akua mentioned. She fidgeted as she spoke. Tsukune imagined it was due to the nervousness she was feeling at the prospect of meeting the Shuzen clan for the first time.

"Perfect. Now, how do we get to Japan from here?"

XXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Akasha trembled as the burst of magic passed through her, momentarily causing her to lose her balance. Once the shock had worn off and she was steady enough to stand upright, she let go of the table she had hung on to keep herself from falling.

"Mother, are you alright?" Moka was worried the Shuzen matriarch may be feeling ill. The concerned look was terribly endearing to the centuries old vampire.

"I'm fine. A little dizzy, that's all."

Having alleviated her daughters fears, Akasha watched as Moka turned the corner of the mansion corridor and went to play with her sisters. The First Ancestor was extremely worried. Somehow, somewhere, someone had just used a mind-boggling quantity of magic. What was most troubling was the very reason for which she was attuned to the backlash: The spell bore her mark.

"Impossible," she murmured to herself. An act requiring that much power must have been nothing short of cataclysmic. Even if she were to use all of her abilities, she was certain she would not be powerful enough to replicate a ritual of that magnitude.

She was confronted with a veritable mystery. On one hand, she had suffered the aftershock of magic that bore her signature. Yet she possessed neither the memory of having cast it nor the apparent capacity to match such a phenomenon.

She breathed in deeply and brushed off a bit of dust on her purple Victorian dress. Thinking about it here would do her no good. All she could do was find Issa and tell him immediately, he might be able to shed new light on the enigma.

For some reason, she intuitively knew that it had some connection to the creature in the basement. Hopefully, it was merely paranoia visiting her for a bit. If it were not…

She shuddered.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Hong Kong. Tsukune was beginning to despise this town with a passion. Hiding in a Miao Family safe house was not exactly helping s to provide with fond memories of the metropolis, either.

As it turned out, his new traveling companions had not lied when they described his newly transformed appearance: Red eyes now replaced the once visible heterochromia whilst his hair became a very light shade of brown, a far cry from the raven color attribute his capillary once held.

This had dampened his first few attempts at walking around in broad daylight. From what he gathered, cosplay was nowhere near as popular in China as it is, or will be, in Japan. Without a proper excuse to explain the strange pigmentation his pupils displayed, people would assume he was not entirely human or on some new, highly illegal, drug. Both scenarios involved the police being alerted on the spot and entailed a very long time spent being interrogated, or tortured, by frightened officials.

Therefore, he was forced to wait until one of Akua's contacts, a Miao agent, sent him some lenses and enough money to last for a few more weeks. The plan was to stay put until a cargo freighter, captained by a Lizardman that owed the Miao a sizable amount of money, came back to Hong Kong and transported the trio to Tokyo, thus paying off the monster captain's debt through services rendered.

Akua must already have been a formidable asset to the Miao for them to be jumping through hoops like this. Of course, it would have been simpler to get a single person to the Japanese archipelago. Unfortunately, sneaking three vampires across airport customs was an almost impossible task, regardless of how much pull a monster crime syndicate had. That signified that they would be ferried by boat, surrounded by the vampire's worst enemy.

The younger monsters were a bit nervous about the idea of being locked away on a ship. If, by some stroke of bad luck, it took on water, that would be the end of them. Tsukune was a little less fearful of the eventuality of drowning. Mainly because he did not remember hearing of a Chinese freighter sinking of the coast of Japan in the year 2006.

June 23rd, 2006. Several newspapers that catered to English speakers working in the city were his primary source of information. His mastery of the English language was touchy at best, true. However, Moka had tutored him extensively in both mathematics and languages. Not all of it stuck, granted, but it was sufficient to get a grasp of the articles' intent. Besides, it was leagues better than staring dumbly at Chinese and asking Akua or Jasmine to translate every other word.

He looked at the date once more. If he subtracted the days he spent running around since he landed in that flower field back in countryside village, he went back exactly seven years.

It was still difficult to imagine that he had time traveled. For what purpose? Why did Akasha send him back? She was willing to sacrifice herself to end Alucard's threat. What made her change her mind? Did the process go wrong? Was there some trickery involved? Had the spell that sent him back been an accidental side effect of the magical blast?

The cause of his temporal misplacement did not truly matter, not anymore. He was given a second chance to make this right. A second chance to prevent Alucard from threatening the world again. A second chance to keep Moka from ever having to suffer the loss of her mother, and the subsequent agonizing years of solitary suffering. A second chance to halt all the bloodshed the war with Fairy Tale ended up costing.

His gaze went between contemplating the nighttime sky through the sole window in the dark, cramped, damp, and colorless safe house and the two sleeping children who were in his charge. He already changed the future by saving Jasmine's life. Without him there to temper her desire to go home, she would have left to try and make peace with the villagers. He knew all too well how that story would have ended, had ended in the future.

Reality was not yet ripped to shreds because of it. Odds were that a few more twists to the continuum would not destroy the world, either. Hence, all he required was an opening… an opportunity.

The two were on their way to the Shuzen household. Akua had already notified her father of her desire to come live with him by means of a third party liaison inside the crime syndicate that employed her, as well as elaborated on the recent events that led her to send out the unexpected request. As expected, Issa Shuzen consented instantaneously, or so the envoy relayed.

The messenger did have one more bit of information to bring to the trio's attention: Tsukune was cordially invited to continue to watch over Akua and Jasmine as he so diligently had up to this point.

That was precisely the sort of opportunity the boy yearned for.

Allowing him safe access into the vampire compound would undoubtedly put him face to face with the elder Shuzens. Among them, the pink haired, centuries old, monster who was responsible for the bending of Time.

Convincing them to listen to him might prove the most troublesome part. Rescuing the patriarch's daughter was only going to earn so much of a chance before he was kicked out for being insane, or murdered for attempting to play a cruel joke on the most influential vampire in the Eastern Hemisphere.

He remained undeterred in his self-imposed task. He would have the entirety of the trip to come up with a suitable argument.

In the meantime, there was still the small problem of surviving until he got there. Subsisting was difficult, especially with the newly acquired craving for blood that hounded him. His mind, if not focused, would wander back to the crimson liquid his parched throat cried out for.

How many times did he catch himself idly dreaming about assaulting a passerby in a dark alleyway and gorging himself on their life force? For all the advantages his nature granted him, the cost was beginning to weigh heavily on his mind.

He grabbed a plain grey hoodie, left the chair he occupied, and marched out of the safe house as he pulled on the concealing article of clothing.

With the new contacts in his eyes and the hood over his head, he made his way to the nearest store.

The shop was deserted, save for the lone employee behind the register and a guard at the front. The guard obviously appeared more than a little suspicious of the hooded individual, but let him through nonetheless. The small tip Tsukune left the guard was extremely helpful to easing a potentially awkward situation.

It was a high end clothing store in the middle of a busy hub of men and women in suits who scurried about at all hours of the day, and that included the very late, or very early, hour of the day Tsukune chose to visit. It was open twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week, and specialized in suits and dresses that most high school students could not even phantom buying.

Luckily, the allowance the Shuzens sent was vast to say the least. It was meant to last them a few weeks if some unexpected delay was to upset the carefully laid schedule that was planned out. What the boy had trouble understanding was the difference between what he envisioned being an amount of money that lasted for a few weeks, and what they consider such a sum to be. A lot more opulent than what the ex-ghoul was used to.

He was not browsing the rows of suits and hats for himself, he owed Akua and Jasmine some new possessions after they were forced to flee to the city. He tried to rescue some of their belonging before the villagers burnt down the shack they lived in. He was not able to retrieve anything but the most essential of their possessions.

He bought replacements for most of what they lost, save for a black hat and matching coat he was currently trying to find for Akua. While he was at it, he could try and look for something a little more presentable for when he was to escort the children to their new home.

He flipped through the racks when something else peeked his interest. It was not the clothes, nor was it the store clerk who checked his phone every couple of seconds.

It was a sensation Tsukune felt tingle at the top of his spine. An uncomfortable tingle that warned him of impending danger. He could feel a creature of great power approaching, a monster that was not to be trifled with.

The boy reached out to identify the unwelcomed visitor. Whoever it was, they bore no ill intent towards him. Still, he felt he was the one it came to this store to find.

He did not turn his face from the rack, preferring to hide his face from the newcomer. The power was not foreign to the boy, he knew exactly who the monster that approached him was, and it chilled him to the bone that it had taken him so little time to find him.

"Alucard…" Tsukune mumbled under his breath.


	2. Chapter 2

**Of Man, Of Monster**

******Dear readers, I would like to ask for a favor. My goal here in Fanfiction is to hone my ability to write and enrich my sometimes lacking vocabulary. As such, if there is any mistake, lacking in description, or odd phrasing, that you happen to come across in any of my stories, I beg you to immediately write me a review or PM me to inform me of the error. It is my hope that I will be able to improve my writing and bring you fine people more compelling stories as a result. **

* * *

"_The world seems full of good men, even if there are monsters in it."_

― _Bram Stoker, Dracula_

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"You have me at a disadvantage," came the amused reply. "You know my name, but I don't know the first thing about you, boy."

Tsukune did not turn around, preferring to keep his eyes fixated on a black blazer. He could feel Alucard's presence. It overwhelmed him, surrounded him and assailed his detections abilities on all sides. Were it not for the sound of the fallen volvoide's voice, Tsukune would never have known where his sworn enemy lurked.

Though he was in a perilous situation, Alucard's words were somewhat comforting. If Alucard did not know his true identity, it was highly likely he did not view him as a threat which, by extension, meant he would be less inclined to summarily execute him in the middle of a nearly empty shop.

"Nobody important," Tsukune calmly retorted as his fingers flipped through the coat hangers on the rack.

"Maybe not, but you're extremely well informed. That might be a problem." He spoke with the utmost tranquility. It almost sounded as if the idea of killing the newly transformed vampire was no more than an afterthought for the creature.

A bead of cold sweat ran down Tsukune's back. The host still laid dormant in the basement of the Shuzen mansion. As long as it existed, the clone that idly discussed the boy's demise was indestructible. He had to buy some time and stave off the confrontation until a more advantageous time.

"Killing me would be more trouble than it's worth." Tsukune tried to match his opponent's nonchalant tone.

"I suppose you're right." The ex-ghoul heard a click, the smell of tobacco followed thereafter. "Besides, since you know so much already. You'd know better than to do something foolish, correct?" Alucard did not wait for an answer before continuing his train of thought. "Anyway, let's brush that aside for now. I came here to thank you for saving the last of my kindred."

So he was here to see Akua, no doubt with the intent of turning her against Mankind. This must have been the moment in time where he used Jasmine's death as a pretext to induct Akua into Fairy Tale. Yet something was off, If memory served, Akua had clearly stated that the deal involved Moka being spared. This must have only been the first of several meetings between the two.

"I did what anyone else would've done."

"Don't diminish your role in her survival… or her friend's." The small moment of hesitation the Wallachian prince had before he mentioned Jasmine was quite telling of the importance he attached to the sliver haired vampire's existence. He almost sounded regretful that she did not perish. It was painfully obvious that his calculations involved her dying at the hands of the villagers.

Tsukune wondered how long Alucard had spent watching his granddaughter. Could it be that he had a hand in Jasmine's death the first time around? "You've done me a great service. And if you'll do me one last favor, I'll see to it that you're well rewarded for your work."

"I'm listening."

Playing the part of a greedy egotist did not sit well with the boy. However, it was the only way he envisioned himself being left breathing after this encounter.

"Make sure they arrive safely at their destination. Once you do, you'll meet a Mrs. Gyokuro Shuzen who'll have your payment. If she asks who sent you, you are _**not**_, and I must insist, _**not**_ to mention my name. Tell her it was the Masked King who contracted you. Understand?"

Tipping off Gyokuro was the last thing Tsukune would have done. He did not need any verbal encouragement to guarantee he kept the leader of Fairy Tale in the dark. Akasha and Issa Shuzen, on the other hand…

"Completely."

"Excellent, you might have a bright future ahead of you, after all."

He felt a hand pat his shoulder. When the impression of said hand faded, the oppressive aura had vanished. Its master had gone and left one of its most dangerous, albeit unknown, future enemies alive.

With the unexpected meeting concluded, Tsukune went about purchasing the items he had sought out in the first place. The clerk barely paid any heed to the hooded person before him, scanning the articles of clothing that were brought to his register and keeping his eyes fixated on the screen in front of him.

His rather large frame, completed with a pimpled face and dirt ridden glasses, along with the grotesque overalls and snot leaking out of his nose, did little to complement the bored adolescent who boxed up Tsukune's new affects without the slightest bit of curtesy towards his vampiric customer.

He grabbed the bills the Yokai student left on his counter, stuffed them into the register, and could not even be bothered to count the sum to make sure it was all there. Certainly, someone found their job to be anything save enthusiastic.

The steps creaked under his feet. Going up and down the old stairs that led to the top of the building tended to be a relaxing moment for Tsukune. It was the first place where he could remove the uncomfortable lenses from his eyes and not fear being discovered. The complex had been abandoned for several years. Considered to be in too dilapidated a state to be livable, it was rare for humans to ever venture out here. Still, he could not help looking over his shoulder as he went up. He felt an eerie sensation tugging at his instincts.

He stopped, breathed in deeply, and sent about trying to locate the responsible individual. His aura went out in waves, a veritable sonar of energy, traveling through air and solid matter alike, waiting for the slightest resonance of power to respond and give away the enemy's presence.

_Ping. _He felt it, a monster was nearby, right above him. He looked up and resisted the urge to berate himself for not having anticipated this. He could see Akua's head and torso protruding from the ceiling. Of all the things to forget about a seasoned assassin, it had to be her ability to pass through solid objects.

Her cheeks went red as she realized her cover was blown. Embarrassed, her first reaction was to try a last minute retreat. Unfortunately, the hasty attempt broke her concentration and, rather than disappearing up into the ceiling, her entire body phased through the concrete and sent her falling onto the floor below. When she dusted herself off and got to her feet, she was face to face with the one she stalked, apparently unimpressed with her display of Tohofuhai's technique.

She was about to spout some half thought out explanation to justify her supernatural capacity to pass through matter when he raised his hand to stop her.

"You don't have to say anything," he reassured her.

"Really?" She questioned, "You're not even a little curious how I did that?"

"Tohofuhai's Dimensional Sword, right?"

"H- How did you know that!?" The look of shock on her childish face was priceless to the older vampire. Seldom had he had a chance to laugh in recent days, and he was thoroughly enjoying this opportunity.

"A friend tried to kill me with it once," he stated simply.

"Doesn't sound like much of a friend to me," she replied, somewhat curious as to what kind of psychotic company he kept as friends.

"Nah, she had her reasons," he dismissed with a wave of his hand. "And she was a little misguided at the time."

"You sure are a forgiving guy," she noted with a furrowed brow.

"You think so?" He joked, tentatively trying to play light of a situation that nearly left him, and all his friends, dead.

"_Oh jeez, _I've seen monks with worse tempers."

Her reproach was fueled by genuine concern. The way Tsukune carried himself was a sure sign that he endured his fair share of trying moments during his young life. Despite that, he still somehow retained a happy-go-lucky attitude about it. Akua reasoned that it was that same humorous nature that would be his undoing. The poor sap needed someone to keep an eye out for him if he was to last.

He smiled, laughed and rubbed his neck as he so often did. Far too lighthearted for his own good. Would he even survive without her to watch his back? It always amazed her how close Jasmine and Tsukune could be in character. Neither one truly comprehended how the world worked, both so blissfully unaware and innocent. She felt compelled to protect that spark of naivety with all of her might.

His upbeat attitude slowly darkened as the laughter died down. She could tell he was bothered by something.

"Wait. Why aren't you upstairs?" He inquired, suspicious of her motives for leaving the safe house.

"I couldn't sleep," she lied. He did not need to know what just happened, it would only upset him.

The boy sighed. "You met him, huh?"

"Who?" She unconvincingly tried to play dumb.

"You know who I mean."

For the first time since she met Tsukune Aono, she saw a heart wrenching change in his demeanor. The once jovial disposition turned somber and dark. His eyes, usually sparkling with life, turned tired and aged as the light in his eyes dimmed. The young face wrinkled itself in deep and depressing thoughts. This was the Tsukune Aono that lurked beneath the surface, this was the true form of an unfortunate soul that had known suffering.

"What did he tell you?" He continued without the least bit trace of anger in his voice, only tired resignation. "Humans are all bad? They should be exterminated?"

She did not speak, only nodded.

"Did you accept his offer?"

"I said I had to think about it," she mumbled defensively.

"You're considering it?"

"Of course I am! Those rotten, no good beasts would've killed given half a chance! Why do you keep giving them a free pass!?" She lashed out at the boy who still held on to the grocery bags.

Tsukune never disguised his great sympathy for Humanity. Whenever Akua or Jasmine questioned him, it always went back to his dream of cohabitation between monsters and humans. The young vampiress did her best not to openly argue with him over that point, but it seemed it was a topic they could no longer avoid.

She expected him to start yelling. To scold her for siding with a being hell-bent on wiping out all humans…

He never raised his voice.

He did not even show a hint of anger directed towards her.

All she did see was a sad smile cross his face as a mixture of tender and bitter memories flashed before his eyes. He concluded that hiding the truth was not any way to treat a friend.

He pointed towards the top of the stairs and calmly asked, "Do you want to have this conversation here?"

Realizing what he was alluding to, she moved towards the lower floors in earnest. Jasmine was still fast asleep, it would not be fair to force her into such an argument.

The two walked side by side through the darkened side streets of the city, careful to avoid being spotted by cameras or people. After finding a remote park that was closed for the night, they sat down on a bench by the side of the grand dirt path that crossed the verdant location and began to talk.

"I wasn't always like this," Tsukune confessed, pausing to think of how he should tell her.

"You weren't always this trusting?" She speculated, in vain.

"No- Well… Maybe, I'm not sure. I wasn't talking about my personality."

"You weren't always this powerful?" She attempted to deduce once more.

Akua reasoned that was common to all vampires. Each member of the species went through a time before maturity where the powers that laid dormant within them awoke. Before that, they may as well be considered weaklings. From a personal standpoint, she could not vouch for ever having felt that. Akua had been blessed with the good fortune of having her powers mature earlier than the norm, which was around the age of ten or eleven.

"I guess you could say that… Look, what I'm trying to say is I wasn't born a vampire."

She tried to comprehend. Not born a vampire? Was he breed in a laboratory? Preposterous, monsters could not be manufactured, they had to be born or…

_Turned?_

"What are you trying to say?"

Her kind was coming up with a very disturbing hypothesis, and she viewed it as so insulting she did not dare speak out loud for fear of offending the older monster. She saw him try to come up with a way to soften the blow, nevertheless; her heart sank as she heard him give voice to her worst fears.

"I was human."

Though her heart sank, her mind did not process the news. Rather, it dismissed as absurd, an impossible case that was incredibly droll. The involuntary laughter bubbled up out of her and erupted loudly, taking Tsukune aback by the unexpected response.

"It's a joke," she exclaimed as she dried a tear that streamed down her cheek, "it has to be!"

"Akua…" He whispered as he witnessed her delicate frame hunched over itself, her laughter died down as the tears flowed unhindered.

"No, I won't believe it… I can't," she murmured to herself.

The man that had been so kind to her, the one who saved her and cared for her, was a human? It was a lie, no human could as thoughtless as he was. No human could inspire the kind of love and respect the boy incited within her, it had to be a lie.

She felt his hand rest on her shoulder. Her eyes, blurred by the incessant downpour, gazed up and perceived his youthful face which conveyed two separate emotions: deepest regret and calm resolution.

The two crimson eyes locked with each other in intimate understanding, quashing away all sorrow in her heart. Whatever Tsukune might have been in the past, he was now a member of her own race. Proof enough in and of itself that he was too good remain a filthy brute of a human.

Not the conclusion the boy wished Akua would arrive to, but it would suffice for now. She disdained Humanity as a whole, yet; she could now admit to exceptional people being brought up from among their ranks. A small victory in winning her heart and mind over to the Cause; a victory regardless.

They went silent, contemplating the night sky as the distant moon slashed through the brazen lights of buildings. The smaller stars did not follow, too weak in their capacity to overwhelm human creations. The strongest of lights did still persevere, though, that was all that Akua cared about.

The held each other as close family did. Not related by blood, they felt in that moment as close as kin. Siblings not by birth, but by Fortune; capricious mistress of wanderers and the unlucky. It was a peaceful reprieve for the young assassin, a moment of timeless bliss. Finally, her thoughts cleared, the sobs in her throat died down, her eyes dried: she was happy.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXX

The two returned to find Jasmine fast asleep, just as they left her. Akua sat down on her futon and examined her newest acquisitions, mentally noting the similarities between her new wears and what she so pitifully lost to the villagers. They were, for all intents and purposes, identical to the original pieces. The hat, dark as the night that surrounded them, was contrasted with a white bow that entangled the bowler with its silky fabric.

The coat was of the same style and contrast. White linings, buttons and bow set upon a black base. Akua's new prized item was made of three parts in total: the original jacket, added cloth that spanned the length between the collar and the bottom of the shoulders, and a large hood sown into the back of the neckline.

Tsukune entertained himself by sitting down on his usual chair and go about the same occupation he always did, watch the outside world and the changing dynamic of the ever-alert city. His mind went over today's events, nitpicked at every memorable moment, and studied how he could have been more prepared. He came to this singular conclusion: He was almost discovered by the enemy, he needed to maintain anonymity.

On their way back from the heart to heart in the park, an object caught his eye. An unassuming item, a frowning carnival mask, golden with few details other than a single white tear going down the side mask. It was an odd purchase, as was the dark coat he bought to disguise the rest of his features, he thought.

Despite that, as he watched the sirens of a passing police car, he felt justified in the bout of eccentric spending.


	3. Chapter 3

******Crossing The Seas, Not Braving The Wilds. **

******Dear readers, I would like to ask for a favor. My goal here in Fanfiction is to hone my ability to write and enrich my sometimes lacking vocabulary. As such, if there is any mistake, lacking in description, or odd phrasing, that you happen to come across in any of my stories, I beg you to immediately write me a review or PM me to inform me of the error. It is my hope that I will be able to improve my writing and bring you fine people more compelling stories as a result. **

******Additionally, I would like to give special thanks to the two reviewers who took the time to point out a few mistakes here and there, I deeply appreciate the nitpicking. **

* * *

"_It seems to me that the further East you go the more unpunctual are the trains. What ought they to be in China?" _

― _Bram Stoker, Dracula_

* * *

Shocking to the sensibilities of to the seasoned adversary of luck-bound villains, the captain and his freighter made port at the time given by a boastful Miao contact. Tsukune had expected some manner of delay or catastrophe to hinder his efforts to cross the China Sea. So far, no trace of ever such a thing in view, yet he still was suspicious.

A shadow hung over them, a premonition of some dark force on its way. It was telling, it forewarned that Death followed swiftly behind them, only ever a single step out of reach. Jasmine was unaware of any such danger, content to follow her big sister and guardian to corners of the Earth unknown. Akua wearily watched and waited, fully conscious of the dreadful aura that stuck to them, ready to strike out and murder whomever be the source. Tsukune's face, concealed beneath the novelty mask, remained neutral and expectant. From today onward, the amount of time he would spend in the company of others would rise exponentially. It was essential that he stayed anonymous, lest some unsavory member of Fairy Tale, future or current, commit his identity to memory.

"Right on ssschedule," came the hissing voice of a middle-aged man in a yellow raincoat.

He stepped onto the dock, leaving behind his pride and joy, the Slivering Lady, to meet those he was ordered to ferry. A monster posing as a human, his grotesquely large hands, sharp nails and forked tongue that produced a lingering on the consonant were all that might make a careful observer question the captain's origins. Fortunately, the sea-faring monster did not often deal with humans directly. The crew was of the same tribe, the workers at the port who dealt extensively with him were also monsters, and the occasional special request never came from any human crime syndicate.

That was not to say he could not pass for a human amidst a crowd of them. Pinkish skin, large cheeks and bulging fat that crept up to form a second chin of sorts. He was the archetype of the overweight sailor. He appeared as jovial as a Buddha, his large smile stretching from ear to ear. Whether it was genuine happiness or some leftover hunter-like attitude that contorted his face in such a manner, Tsukune could not begin to guess; the captain's grin had a predatory property to it.

"Ssso, yer the vampiresss they told me to take with me," he glanced over the trio of superior monsters with a critical eye and set his gaze on the oldest one. "What'sss with the gettup?"

Tsukune did not respond, he stared back into the lizardman's eyes with intent. A touch of his aura seeped out of his form and enveloped the sailor in question. The monster immediately averted his eyes and apologized for his disrespectful tone. "Thing isss, we don't often get to carry your lot around."

"Oh, we understand," Akua intervened to ease tensions, as they had rehearsed, "It's just that my friend can't really talk."

A glimmer of comprehension flashed through the monster captain's eyes. He must have lost his tongue during a fight with another vampire. Those creatures were vicious to say the least, it was not that much of a stretch to imagine such a fight having taken place. From what the tribes said of vampires, it was amazing they showed this much restraint when other monsters were present.

"I ssse. Now, 'bout the trip," his eyes ventured back to their owner's pride and joy, "you'll be back on ground in two or three daysss, if we don't get much trouble from cussstomsss. They've been a pain lately. Not lettin' no ssstrange thingsss happenin'. Poor sssailor gotta make a livin', though." He grumbled as stories of other clandestine stowaways surfaced back into his mind.

The veteran captain never erred as did others who were called upon to bring monsters back and forth between the mainland and Japan, regardless; word of mouth and rumors had a way of wedging themselves in the collective skulls of monster captains, every bit as superstitious as their non-supernaturally linked brethren.

Unwelcomed news, but not completely unforeseen. Tsukune was willing to bet there would be some sort of obstacle in his way, there always was. He felt a force latching itself around his hand, Jasmine seemed worried. He followed to trail to what it was her eyes fixated with fear, the vast open water that laid before them. He squeezed her hand reassuringly, to let her know that it would be alright. She appeared to have received the message and softened her hold a bit. She was still quite tense, but she hid it well.

"Ah, don't worry 'bout it," the captain laughed, "ssshe'sss a sssturdy lady, ssshe'll get ya home sssafe 'n' sssound."

Without a word, Akua quickly grabbed onto Jasmine and dragged her onboard the boat. Apparently, she wanted to be done with the ordeal just as badly as Jasmine did. That left only the bribed monster and the masked vampire back on land. The former feeling a bit intimidated by the silent vampire not five feet away from him. He rushed onto his ship and yelled out some orders to his crew. Tsukune swiftly made his way up the ramp and past the deck, the sooner he got away from the crew, the better he would feel.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"Was doing that really necessary?"

Akua was far too absorbed by the sight of the coast vanishing in the morning fog to turn towards the vampire that sat next to her. She could feel a touch of regret mingled within Tsukune's words, to which she felt almost obligated to sigh. That same spark of naivety she valued so much was becoming a great burden to manage at this rate.

"You're the one who wanted to stay anonymous." She reminded him, as does a mother pestering her child over a lesson they should have learned time and time again. "Well, mission accomplished. You won't so much as hear a peep from him you don't want to hear." She paused as the stink of fear the monsters above deck exuded seeped into the room through the wooden boards and metallic hull. "Or from the others on board."

"Yeah, but it really felt like he was about to make a run for it,' the boy lamented.

"Happens all the time when we're around. He'll get over it."

"But, sister, I think Tsukune's right." Came the high-pitch squeak from behind them. Jasmine was lazily lying down on one of the beds in the large cabin, staring up at the ceiling with her legs kicking and shuffling the air as if some imaginary object pushed up against them. "Maybe that was a bit much."

"_Oh jeez, stop siding with him every single time. Big sister knows best._"

Jasmine looked towards her self-appointed mother figure and stuck out her tongue as a means to convey how she felt over the prospect of her 'big sister' telling her she knew better than the man who saved both of them not two weeks ago. Truly, however, the greatest stinging gesture was not her impolite action but, instead, her less than flattering remark.

"_You mean like when you thought it would be a good idea to go spy on Tsukune, right before he caught you?_"

"_H-How did you hear about that?_"

"_Big brother Tsukune told me._"

Chinese or Japanese, the boy was always capable of recognizing the sound of his own name. Generally, that never boded well in the past. His suspicious were to be confirmed soon thereafter.

"Big brother Tsukune, eh?"

The boy in question found the sea to be incredibly wondrous all of a sudden. He could feel Akua's oppressive glare on him, the intensity with which it burned was the stuff of legends. He dared not say a word. He avoided making any contact that might suggest he noticed that the young assassin wanted to have a word with him, direly.

The eldest Shuzen cleared her throat, no reaction. She called out his name, still no answer. Finally, she resolved herself to taking more draconian steps in catching his attention. From what she recalled of their heart-to-heart a fortnight ago, a good friend of his tried to murder him with the Dimensional Sword. If he were foolish enough to ignore her, it could not be helped if she did something drastic every now and again.

She breathed in slowly, quieted her aura, and got into a fighting stance. Jasmine, quite aware of where this was leading, made sure to vacate the bed and take several steps back; she was not about stand in Akua's way when she used such extreme means of persuasion. One step, two steps, three steps… She was now barricading herself behind the door and waiting patiently out in the hall for the one-sided massacre to commence.

Tsukune felt a disturbance. A pressure was building up; ever so gently, it bubbled up and cast its influence in the surrounding air. Then he felt it, a great gust of power burst forth and murderous intent lunged out at him. Akua was in midair by the time he realized she was about to fight him. Sensing he could not properly dodge her attack, he instinctively brought his arm up and parried her strike. The two arms connected and Akua's ability was canceled out.

The young vampire watched in awe as the person she tried to lightly cut blocked her. She stood, her mouth agape as the first target to ever dodge nullify her Dimensional Sword push her back and got into a fighting stance of her own. She could see the unwavering determination in his eyes, and for but a moment, she saw a great amount of power buried inside of him. It was a power she believed only two vampires in existence held.

"First Ancestor…" She whispered in amazement. Peering down at her hand, she noticed that her hand could once more displace rifts in Space after breaking contact. "Incredible technique," she finally noted. "Where did you learn it?"

Now that the imminent threat passed, the ex-ghoul fully came to grips with the gravity of his mistake. In that moment of panic, he was unable to distinguish an actual threat from a simple thrust meant to catch his attention. As a result, he had tipped his entire hand; that alone would bring about more unwanted questions.

"Umm…"

This was bad, he could feel the two pairs of inquisitive red eyes locked onto him. The more he tried to think of a suitable explanation, the more it entailed going into detail about who he was… and where he came from.

"_Oh jeez, _you're not about to start keeping secrets from me, are you?" She inquired.

He could see the glimmer in her eye. That same slight sliver of intrigue he saw when he first used that technique to fend her off at the Hanging Gardens. The more time they spent together, the more he could see facets of the dangerous Shuzen assassin that once tried to destroy him, back when he opposed her obsessive desire to protect Moka from those who cared about her. He could feel a wedge being driven by his silence, he had to resolve himself to saying something.

"Jasmine," he called out into the hallway.

"Yes?" She answered, still flabbergasted by the sight of such a display of power.

"Come in and close the door, what I have to say can't leave this room."

Understanding the imperious gravity of his tone, Jasmine complied without a word of protest. Leaving the boy free to recount a story about a simple human, a lonely vampire, and the friends who dared to stand up against evil and seek Coexistence…

XXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"Whatchhha think about 'em, Cap?"

The veteran leader of the crew, checking over the register as his feet lazily rested on the counter of the helm, gave a dark look at his cohort. The cohort had completely forgone the idea of maintaining his human appearance on board. Green scales, an elongated mouth with several missing fangs, and the ever so famous reptilian eyes that were a pale yellow. Dressed in the same vestments as his captain, his long claws, dulled to handle the complex rigging of the ship, and his lively tail where allowed to protrude proudly from his form.

The captain did not really care for his lax and easygoing first mate, a lizardman who lacked the discipline to remain in disguise at all times did not deserve to be in charge of any part of a cargo freighter as delicate as the Slivering Lady. Alas, tribe politics and the like made for strange and undesirable collaborations within the workplace.

"Think 'bout who?" He feigned ignorance.

In truth, he knew precisely who his tribe brother referred to, but he refused to overtly speak of them. They scared him, and from what he heard of the cursed species he was shanghaied into ferrying across the vast seas, it was bad to speak of them behind their backs; especially when he considered how keen their ears happened to be. The last he heard of sailors badmouthing a vampire, they ended up on the English coast with their throats ripped out. Of the entire crew, only a single one survived; he was the bright youngling who jumped ship and swam ashore before the vampire arrived topside to tell his hosts what he thought of their opinion.

"The bunchhha Jonah beneath deck, y'know, the vampsss,' the inferiorly ranked lizardman went on, unfazed by the subtle hint his superior sent his way, all in the hopes he would halt the conversation before they were both dangled overboard with fishhooks stuck in their mouths.

"All I know isss we keep our mouthsss ssshut 'n' do our jobsss," he quickly reminded his good-for-nothing brethren.

"Sssomething wrong with 'em, can feel it from here." He whined, still intent to vent his frustration on his captive audience of one.

"Ain't no problem of oursss, and careful who you gonna call a Jonah. They jussst asss sssoon kill ya than look atchhha."

"Unlucky and dangerousss. I wanna get thisss over with."

For the first time in his life, he left like they had reached common ground, "You and me both."

"An' about the big guy…" he began, "… the mute."

"What?"

Barely had the words escaped him that he already regretted asking such a moronic question. If, of the three, he felt there was one vampire not to speak ill of, it would be the menacing guardian that never made a sound. The girls seems polite and even well-mannered, characteristics that often beget merciful tendencies; the brute, he ventured to guess, was not quite as magnanimous as the little blood-thirsty ones.

"He don't act like no mute I've ssseen before," the first mate commented in an offbeat manner that provoked a mix of involuntary snickering the captain could not suppress.

"Sssince when do ya know what a mute actsss like?"

"He don't act right, I sssay."

Superstitious fears or simple outright hatred for the infamous 'monsters among monsters' race, the fatter lizard creature did not care one bit: He wanted his first mate to, for just once in his life, to leave a topic of conversation alone. He was no longer afraid of the vampires, or not as much as he previously was; he merely wanted the good-for-nothing to hold his tongue before he talked him to death.

"Inssstead a cryin' 'bout it. Get back to work."

Yet, the owner of the Slivering Lady still did not hear the end of it, and had to restrain himself before jumping at his underling's throat to relieve his exasperation. He could feel a serious migraine lodging itself in his brain when the familiar voice spoke once more.

"Tellin' ya, a real Jonah dat one."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"… Wait, go back to the part where the giant ship crashed."

"_Oh jeez, _what have I gotten myself into?"

His explanation had left his audience dumbfounded and a bit skeptical for several reasons. First of all, Tsukune did his best to avoid naming names, meaning that he had to identify his friends, family, acquaintances and enemies with numerical values or nicknames. Secondly, he conveniently left out the part where he was forced to time travel back to an earlier time; for some reason, he could feel the idea of being sent into the past was a foreign concept, even for monster society. Thirdly, some minor details had to be changed to suit the anonymity Tsukune preferred to maintain: He failed to go in-depth on how the final battle was won, who the enemy was and the like. All in all, what had begun as a genuine intention to tell them the entire truth morphed itself, yet again, into a quagmire of half-truths, omissions and misleading facts.

It was quite the unsatisfactory story for the young vampires. Akua tried her best not to groan at the sheer implausibility of half the events he did go into. She had been in the assassination industry for a while now, information and gossip were tools of the trade; still, she could be sure that a large part of what he recounted did not happen, whether in Japan or China. Still, it puzzled her, some behaviors and protocols Tsukune recalled seemed awfully close to some of the routines Fairy Tale used. The oddest part, though, was the amazing amount of precision the boy was able to bring forth; it clearly showed that Tsukune was not lying, not consciously anyway.

Body language was reserved, closed off, but in no way dishonest. So she concluded that he did face Fairy Tale, and the grand majority of what she was being told really did happen. However, the amount of secrecy made deciphering the mess she was given an impossible task. One day, she would have a proper sit down with her hopeless rescuer and get him to tell her the entire truth. Until then, she would keep a watchful eye over him at all times. If he really was so prone to getting into daunting situations, Akua would have her work cut out for her.

Jasmine found the whole story to be quite charming. She hung on every word and appreciated the conclusion. The veracity of the account was not her concern. It sounded nice, she trusted her newly adopted big brother. It was a little murky but she believed him, nothing else mattered.

"Yeah, I know how all this sounds," Tsukune admitted with a weary look.

"No, no, you say that's how it happened and I believe you." Akua reassured with a slight smile. "Still, I want to go back over a few parts later if you don't mind."

The discussion as cut short by the sound of a grumbling stomach. Afternoon was nearing and Jasmine was beginning to feel a bit peckish. Her older sisters motherly instincts set in and she went about dragging her protectee out of the room in search of something, or someone, to eat. If the food was lacking, the assassin was certain that she would find a willing volunteer in the crew. If not, she would find someone to make a generous contribution, independent of their freewill.

Tsukune did not so much as voice a single word of opposition to the idea. He was feeling hungry himself, and while he wanted to avoid feasting on some poor fool, he could sense that dissuading anyone else from trying would be both futile and stir his own desire for the crimson sustenance. If only human satiated him as it did in the past, it would be one less burden on his mind.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXX

The rest of the voyage went on without a single incident. The crew was frightened by a few anemic crewmembers among them but nothing beyond the slight worry. The vampires kept to their quarters, and the crew steered clear of them whenever possible. Angst was the de facto peacekeeper and eradicator of discontent for the members of the reptilian race.

Finally came time to disembark. The entire crew had assembled to see the fearsome trio off and confirm they were alive after spending several days in the presence of vampires. They waved and smiled and wished them well. Underneath their outstretched smiles and pleasant disposition, Akua could detect the abject odor of anxiety enveloping the farewell committee. This only went to show why she despised spending any length of time with lower monsters, if they never had any sort of combat experience, they were likely to instinctively be afraid of a vampire. Being feared and discreetly shunned simply for holding a greater amount of power than others was disheartening, another reason why so many vampires turned to elitism.

She glanced at the masked vampire walking behind them, to think that he was once so fearful, perhaps creatures could change if they were shown the light. She interiorly laughed, and to think it would be the humans who would take the first step. It most assuredly was an interesting time to be alive when a human ascended the latter of power, or rather an ex-human.

They strode confidently passed the assembled group, courteously thanked them, and marched off the Slivering Lady as it unloaded the rest of its cargo. Back on solid land, a weight lifted from their shoulders. No matter how safe it was to sail, seeing nothing but the vampirirc equivalent of acid for days had a way of impacting one's morale.

Thankfully, that part of the journey was over. They waited at a nearby building on the extremity of the port for their Shuzen escort to arrive. It was scheduled to meet them any moment now. They waited for a while, silently watching the humans that scurried around them. None seemed to particularly mind the vampires, too absorbed by their own activities to truly care. Those who did steal a moment to observe the strange bunch assumed it was merely a cosplay event, it was an excuse that served the ex-ghoul well.

Of all the humans that went and left, none spent more than a few seconds staring at him. None, save one single boy, whose brown hair and equally brown eyes were familiar to Tsukune. The boy did not look away, having lost his cousin and parents, he was starting to enjoy the festivities on the street, the most interesting attraction had to be the mysterious group of cosplayers. Tsukune was privy to all manner of things that passed through the young boy's head.

After all, who better than one's own self could see the thoughts that dwelled within the hopeful face the person so often was accustomed to seeing in the mirror…


End file.
